Justice League Dark A Priority, Rumored To Start in 2016

Usually known as Dark Universe, we’ve been reporting on the on-again off-again rollercoaster that has been the Justice League Dark adaptation for years.

The film had been in the hands of Guillermo del Toro for a while, and he was quite possibly the best choice to bring the series to the big screen. Unfortunately with his busy schedule and a high-profile conflict with Pacific Rim 2 (which has now been put on hiatus), it seemed less and less likely the movie would ever get made. So finally del Toro announced that he was no longer helming the project (though he might remain on as a producer), leaving Dark Universe in limbo.

The most recent rumor states that Justice League Dark/Dark Universe is now a priority for Warner Bros. and is looking to start production in 2016. The report also states that it is now in the hands of producer Scott Rudin, who most recently worked on Steve Jobs and Ex Machina.

The original comic series that inspired the adaptation began with DC’s launch of the New 52, though the characters that make up the team have been around the DC Universe for years. Some of the more prominent members include John Constantine (who is set to appear on Arrow this season), Zatanna, Deadman, Frankenstein, and Swamp Thing, with a number of other supernatural characters that rotate around the team.

During the latest DC initiative known as DCYou, Justice League Dark was cancelled and replaced with a new title called Dark Universe. Whether this was motivated by Warner Bros’ plans for the film or not, it got fans talking about the potential of finally seeing the darker mystical side of the DC Universe on the big screen.

We’ll be following this story very closely as it develops, as we would love to see some of these characters join the DC Extended Universe. With the darker serious take the films are taking with the characters, Dark Universe not only fits perfectly in that atmosphere, but we’re already beginning to see pieces from their world show up in the films. Next year’s Suicide Squad features the character Enchantress, played by Cara Delevigne (below). Enchantress has played a large part in both the main Justice League Dark series as well as in numerous supernatural storylines over the decades.

Are you excited to hear that Justice League Dark/Dark Universe might still be happening? Does it matter if del Toro isn’t on board as director? Would you like to see Matt Ryan (TV’s Constantine) take on the role for the big screen as well? Do you feel like this movie will never make it to theaters? Let us know in the comments section below or join the discussion on the Grizzlybomb Facebook page!